Wednesday 15 December 2010

Good news, bad news


Good news (for us, anyway) first: Anne arrived, and we have spent two days eating, talking, dog walking (getting filthy and muddy in the Dene, getting wet and sandy in the sea), and shopping.


She bought new outdoor boots, but related a sorry little tale of how this particular brand, worn by only the poorest kids in her school, is used as a term of abuse and ridicule by the other kids. This in an area of Glasgow that ranks amongst the most socially deprived, where no family actually has any money to spend on designer trainers, yet somehow, they do, and it matters....

Otherwise, lovely stuff; catching up and enjoying each other's company.

Flossie has worked out at once that Anne is a soft touch, ever-willing to wield the ball-chucker, and brings her toys to play with at every opportunity.



Anne wanted to leave her bedroom door open during the night, in the hope that a cat or two would come and sleep on her bed. What she got was a continuous to-and-fro procession of cats throughout the night, and because neither of us had noticed that her bedside clock had not been put back an hour in October, she got up very early indeed, wondering why it was still so dark.

The bad news: The new toilet (3rd choice, much hassle to get it here at all) is found to have a tiny invisible crack, and on filling, leaked sneakily into the floor. We await a replacement, and are watching the ceiling of the room beneath with a little anxiety. Richie is confident that the sloping floor problem can be sorted out satisfactorily, and even in the rough, with half-grouted tiles and no controls yet, the new shower looks rather good.

And we have a working basin. This is what my life has come to: delight in sanitary ware that works......



Tomorrow, lunch in the country, hurrah!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

There was an article in the paper recently by a working Mum .... her children wanted to know why, if she worked to buy them things, their friends got far more from their Mums who were on benefits! Glad you are having such a good time with Anne - I hope she gets home ok before this next lot snow arrives (although perhaps she would be quite content to stay longer!!)

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

I have to say ( it may be an age thing ) that there is no greater delight than sanitary ware that doesn't leak .
Winning the lottery would be second on my list , closely followed by a haircut I actually liked .
Anyway , have a fab. country lunch tomorrow !

Susan said...

the beach ... the beach
gasp + sigh. So very different from our beaches.
So flat, such endless sand, so dog perfect.
so lab perfect.
hooray Richie + son.

Lucille said...

A leaking loo! My commiserations. We had a leaking plug hole very sneakily dribbling down the back of a handbasin remarkably like yours.

Carolina said...

That shower looks great indeed. I do hope you have another toilet somewhere in the house you can use. I'd hate to think you'd have to use the new basin... ;-)

Fran Hill said...

Oh dear, leaks aren't good. I know that to my cost.

Fran Hill said...

That sounded very weird! I mean bathroom leaks, of course ...!

Rattling On said...

A boy at work (school) today told me he and his Mum had been making stars out of cardboard and covering them with tinfoil. He was ashamed that these would be their Christmas decorations and they couldn't afford a tree.
We had a long discussion on this and he was surprised to know that most people have been in that position, or near to it, in their lives; unless they have been particularly lucky.
I told him that in fact I thought they probably had some of the nicest and most personal decorations.
It's the small things that break your heart.

the veg artist said...

Hot water is my thing - I am grateful for it every time I turn on the tap. The shower looks fab - so easy to get in and out, and stylish as well!
Have a lovely lunch (a Birthday Lunch - yes?).

Sweet Virginia Breeze said...

So glad Anne managed to get there despite the snow. I'm sure you are all having a great time.
Just keep reminding yourself how wonderful the new bathroom will be when completed.

Pam said...

Call me peculiar, but though I quite understand that leaking loos are very far down the list of desirable items, I wouldn't exactly say I was "delighted" by my two non-leaking ones. Maybe I should be, though. I'll consider it. Pleasure in the ordinary and all that.

Have fun with your sister. I wish I had a sister.

"Sunshine" said...

I am so glad sis arrived safely...And the bathroom is looking so beautiful. Too bad on the leak, but I am sure all turns out well.
It looks like Flossie has found quite a playmate.
Happy birthday, Rachel.

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Well I utterly get the delight in the non leaking sanitary ware. To such are we reduced. We had a gentle drip, drip, drip in the downstairs loo under the basin. That sorted we had a gentle drip, drip, drip under the kitchen sink. When all was dry and clean it was as it the sun came out.
So glad your sister arrived. Sisters are great aren't they?

Kate on Clinton said...

Even with the most conscientious craftsman, there is always something that makes any renovation last 3 times longer than anticipated. Glad you're having fun with your sister and she's giving your arm a break with Flossie!

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